Means for facilitating the removal of lids from the bodies of tins and the like



E. R. RosslTl-:R 2,008,798 -MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE REMOVAL OF LIDSFROM THE BODIES oF TINs AND THE LIKE Filed May 19, 1954 July 23, 1935.

Patented July 23, 1935 n f PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR FACILITATING THEREMOVAL OF LIDS FROM BODIES OF TINS AND t THE LIKE Edwin Ralph Rossiter,Sydney, New South Wales, Australia n Application May19, 1934,*SerialrNo.726,593 In Australia May 19, 1933 1 claim. (o1. 22o-43) This inventionrelates to improved means for facilitating removal of lids from thebodies of tins and the like.

vManydiiferent means have been devised for 5 achieving the before statedobjective. Some such known means have necessitated the employment of ladevice additional to the body and lid of the tin or the like and/ orintimately associated therewith. I `The presentV invention does notnecessitate the employment of any device additional to the body and Vlidof the tin or the like and its aimV more particularly stated is toprovide,'in a receptacle which is of the known typev having a removablelid or cover adapted upon pressure being applied toit to be released oropened by being tilted upon fulcra portions or rocker points, animproved ar.- rangement of such fulcra portionsor points which inassociation with a special inwardly curved or 20 recessed formation ofportion of thebody of the receptacle brings about much limproved resultsas comparedwith the before-mentioned known constructions. 'f Theinvention contemplates a novel and pe- 25 culiar 'formation of the upperporticnof the receptacle body and particularly of its shouldered orbeaded portion and of Aits rim portion.

The said `shouldered or beaded portion of the body of a tin of theordinary lcommon variety 30 such as would be usedin the marketing forex-V ample of boot polishes is formed during stamping operations insubstantially the same plane and all around the 'said tin body andagainst and/or upon such shouldered'o-r beaded portion the yedge 35 ofthe lid when in closed position is adapted to abut or rest.

yAccording to the present invention, the said shouldered or beadedportion extends circumferentially of and in the same plane only some 40.distance more than half around (as for example approximately two-thirdsaround) the tin body to form what will be herein termed a main beadedbody. portion, the extremities of which latter are preferably of roundedand/orV inclined form and 7 design and function as the fulcra or rockerpoints upon `and about which the' lidfmay be movedr or tilted by manualpressure applied to that portion of it whose edge isnot resting upon orin contiguity'with. thesaid main beaded body portion. 1

described that portion of the said body which lies between vrandadjaoentgto the said extremities or rocker points of the saidmain beadedportion is 55 To facilitate the movement of the lid as last inwardlyVcurved recessed or depressed in specialA manner, thus freely permittingthe requisite slight l movement inwardly' of therelative portion of thelid flange and edge as when manual pressure is applied to the lid todepress one side or edge portion of it so that that lid portiondiametrically 5 opposite to the point of application of such manualpressure is raised completely away from the-rim and rimvedge of the bodyfrom which the whole lid construction may `then be readily completelyremoved. 1 10 @The rim portion of the body of the receptacle is ofpeculiar construction so formed as to on the one hand ensure a snugsealing lor fitting therewith of the lid when'in closed position uponitso that` the said lid may not be accidentally raised or raisedvin anyother 'manner than 'by initial tilting movement aboutthe said fulcra orrocker points and so' that materials contained may thus be adequatelyprotected against deterioration Y either by evaporation of theirvolatile content or by ingress of air or atmospheric moisture, and onthe otherhand topermit the said lid when so required and by beingrstmoved or tilted about the said fulcra cr rocker points to be with amaximum of ease removed from the'body. Y, To 'this last-mentioned endthe said rim portion of the said body progressively varies slightly indepth and in form at different parts of it, being narrower'at its partwhich is midway of the said rocker or fulcra points of the said mainkbeaded body portion and being deeper at its part which is diametricallyopposite to its last-mentioned part; and having an inclinedcircumferential lidsealing protuberance which forms a very effectivesealing lineas will be seen and which to such end has a slightprogressive downward inclination extending from its said first-mentionedpart to its said last-mentioned diametrically opposite part, suchAinclined circumferential lid-sealing protuberance forming an importantfeature of the invention. l f

hat part ofthe said rimportion adjacent the lowest part of its saidinclined circumferential lid-sealing protuberance furthermore has itslip incurved in inwardly sloping fashion and this feature also is deemedto be ofsome importance.` Thin packing as of oil impregnated 'paper' orof metal foil commonly known as fsilver paper may be'used, inassociation with aconstruction 50 according to the invention, inknownmanner for its known purposes. d

In order that the invention may be clearly vunderstood referencel willnow be made .to the a'ccompanying drawing wherein like referencenugiomerals refer to like parts throughout the several views which are asfollows:-

Figure 1 is a side view of a construction according to the inventionshowing portions of the lid broken away to show the peculiar formationof the rim portion of the container body and the close fitting of thelid therewith.

Figure 2 is a view of Figure 1 taken in the direction of the arrow Ashowing the beaded formation of the container body which permits readyremoval of the lid, portion of the latter broken away to show thelid-sealing protuberance of the rim portion of the said container body.

Figure 3 is a side View of the container body With the lid removedtherefrom showing. in chain dotted lines at once the inclined directionof the said circumferential lid-sealing protuberance of the rim portionof the container body and the effective sealing line for the lid when inits closed position. Curved dotted lines indicate an alternative beadedformation of the container body designed to more nearly conform with theshape 'and 'disposition of the iid odge when montrer is depressed. n

Figure 4 is a similar View to Figure` 1 showing the' lid' partlyremoved. Figure 5 is a perspective View of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view B of Figure 3. Figure 7 is anenlarged view (in proportion) of Figure 3 and serves with thedescription which follows to illustrate more clearly constructional Thesaid main beaded body portion I3 is disposed parallelly with the edge ofthe. body rim I4 and extends some distance more than half around asapproximately two thirds ofthe dis- 4 tance around the circumference ofthe container body IIJ its extremities forming fulcra or rocker pointsI5. v

From each of the points I5 is a straight downward extension I6approximately at an angle of forty-five degrees'and a horizontalcontinuation toform the comparatively short beaded body extension I6 ofthe main beaded portion I3 may boly rim tI4 which part is midway betweenthe portion I1 located near the lower portion of the container andbelowthe said main beaded portion I3. Y

Alternatively in lieu of the straight angular be acurved extension (seedotted lines inFigure3).V 4

To give lgreater prominence or definiteness to and to prevent 'crackingor fracturingl during manufacture of,V the -fulcra yor rocker pointsI5,`

inward depressions I 9 of the body I0 extend above and somev distancealong from the said points. l -1 That portion of thecontainer body I0located above its snort horizontal beaded portion l1v is inwardly curvedor V'recessedas .at I8 so forming above Ythe said horizontal beadedportion VII a projecting portion Vof the body rim I4.

'That part of the said projecting portion of the fulcra or Arockerpoints I5 constitutes the highest part 2I of an inclined circumferentiallid-sealing protuberance 20.

The said circumferential lid-sealing Yprotuberance 20 inclined slightlyfrom its said highest part 2I downwardly towards the diametricallyopposite part 22 of the body rim I4 where it reaches its lowest part.

In Figure 6 the said circumferential lid-sealing protuberance 20 isrepresented by shading lines which clearly indicate its inclinationand/or varying depth. v Y

From adjacentI the said part 22 the said body rim I4 extends upwardlyand inwardly slightly as indicated by the incurved sloping body rimportion 23 which functions as will be seen (coincidentally with the saidinclined circumferential lid-sealing protuberance 20) to facilitatereception over the body rim I4 or removal therefrom of the lid I Iportion of whose edge I2 is adapted to abut or rest against the mainbeaded body portion I3 in known manner for such closures.

To fit the lid II closely and securely over the body rim I4 it is firstapplied over the highest part 2| of the inclined circumferentiallid-sealing protuberance 20, its diametrically opposite part being thenfirmly pressed down over the part 22 of the incurved sloping body rimportion 23 `to be levered or gently forced over the adje-- cent lowestpart of the said inclined circumferential lid-sealing protuberance 20.

The position of the sealing line or close fit of the lid I I around thebody rim I4 is clearly shown by the chain dotted line 24 in Figure 3wherein is also'indicated the greater prominence of the highest part 2|ofy the inclined circumferential lid-sealing protuberance 20 relativelyto and with its lowest part at 22 and relativelyvto and with theassociated incurved sloping body portion 23. It 'will be at once clearfrom a reference to the drawing herein and to the manner of fitting orapplying the lid closure Il over the body rim I4 and over its inclinedcircumferential lid-sealing protuberance 20, thatany ordinary attemptlmade to remove the said lid I I by any pull in the ldirection indicatedby the arrow C (see Figure 1.) must necessarily result in failure, sincethe lid II is (as against any normal force so applied) firmlyboundaround and about the said inclined circumferential lid-sealing Yprotuberance 20 whose diameter is slightly greater than is the interiordiameter of the said lid.

' The said lid I I may however be readily removed only by firmlydepressing manually (or otherwise applying thereto equivalent pressure),that portion* of the lid which is disposed immediately adjacent thevsaid inward curve or recess I8 of Ithe container body IIJ.` v

Such firm manual depression (or its equivalent) of the lid I I causesthe latter to at once tilt by `its edge I2 upon the prominences whichform the fulcra or rocker points I5, (see radius line 26 and arc 2Gb ofFigure 7) the lid edge receding slightly into the inward curve or recessI8 andA into the inward depressions I9 and the movement imparting to thelid a, slight sliding action upon the said fulcra or rocker points I5 asthat .pori-f tion of the said lid which is diametrically opposite to itssaid portion upon which the said firm manual pressure isbeing applied iscausedV to rise away from engagement with the lowest part of the saidinclined* circumferential lid-sealingl protuberance 2D and clear of theincurved sloping body rim portion23. f o

Thus although a veryclose fit of the lid over the body is maintained atall material times,A the said lid may be instantly and readily removedin very convenient andsimple manner 'as de- Adentation between saidrocker points, an inclined scribed but only in such manner and yetwithout necessitating the employment of any device additional to thebody and lid which latter together form the complete container.

Within the scope of the invention as described and claimed herein, theremay be employed modifications as in regards to shape and design ofarticles manufactured in accordance with the invention.

What I do claim is:-

A circular metal box comprising a container member and a lid member,said container member including a beaded portion extending partially andcircumferentially aboutthe container member, the ends of thecircumferential portion of said beaded portion forming rocker points,said container member being provided with an insealing protuberanceextending circumferentially about said container member and above saidbeaded portion, the highest point of said sealing protuberance beingadjacent said indentation and the lowest point thereof beingdiametrically opposite said highest point and adjacent the midpoint ofsaid beaded portion, the rim portion of said container member above saidsealing protuberance being bent inwardly, the outer diameter of saidsealing protuberance being greater than the inner diameter of said lidmember whereby said container member may be effectively sealed by saidlid member, said lid member being easily removable by slight pressure onthe lid adjacent said indentation.

EDWIN RALPH ROSSITER.

